Dust II: Elysian Kingdom
by Master Avalon
Summary: [Post-Dust: AET / Major Spoilers] Several years after General Gaius' defeat, Dust has been regenerated and goes back into the world of Falana with Ahrah to find answers on what's happened in the time he's been gone. Eventually, a search for the other four Blades of Elysium ensues, in order to save Falana and the Moonblood kingdom from being consumed by corruption. [Minimal OC's]
1. Chapter 1

**먼지**

Dust II: Elysian Kingdom

**Chapter 1 – Awake and Alive**

* * *

_"..as long as I live, I still have a choice."_

The stalagmite-ridden cavern was chilled and damp, covered mostly by darkness, save for two strange flameless lights that dimly illuminated the area around the wall they were mounted on. The lamps painted eerie shadows across the floor of the cave, creating a presence that tried to fill the lifeless void.

In between these two lights was some kind of anti-gravity field, which contained the body of a pale turquoise figure with long silver-colored hair, clothed only by a pair of lengthy pants with a bandage-like belt. He had short, pointy ears, an above-average physique, and a long bushy tail. The ends of the creature's legs appeared to be a mass of particles coming into form as if they were slowly regenerating. The figure just levitated there in the field, with eyes closed and body still as a statue.

_"We did everything right, Dust.. Everything we were supposed to do."_

Dust was his name. As time moved on, he began to recall the last few events leading up to his death. How he confronted General Gaius at the summit of the Everdawn Basin; how he declared himself as justice incarnate, created from the souls of the innocent Jin and the ruthless Cassius; and how he sacrificed himself for the Moonblood civilization to be able to return to its former glory.

But if he supposedly died, then how is he even thinking right now? How could these memories be coming back to him?

_"So, Mithrarin, you finally see the truth."_

The ancient Moonblood race was the reason for his very existence. Their leader, Elder Gray Eyes, was the one who merged Jin and Cassius' souls to create 'Sen-Mithrarin' - he who is born of the dust. With this memory, many more came into his unconscious mind. Memories of his adventures with his nimbat companion Fidget; of his battles wielding one of the Blades of Elysium, Ahrah; and of his countless meetings with the inhabitants of Falana's villages, one standing out the most: Jin's sister, Ginger.

_"__When the Life Thread calls-"_

Dust suddenly gasped awake. He frantically scanned the area, then immediately wondered why he couldn't move from his suspended position. He tried to calm down, when the silhouette of an oddly-shaped sword came into his view from beyond the darkness.

"So you are finally awake, my friend," the sword spoke. It was Ahrah.

"Ahrah! H-How am I still alive?! Where are we..?"

"Calm yourself, Dust." Ahrah said as he shimmered brightly for a second, disbanding the field around Dust. He slowly descended and touched the ground with his feet, shaking a bit, but then progressively began to move more naturally.

"Okay okay.." Dust started as he sat on the cave floor. "One question at a time then; how exactly am I still alive? I remember being consumed by the lava in the volcano but.. I'm not sure how it's possible I'm still here.."

Ahrah speculated, "Of that I am not completely sure, but I theorize that it has something to do with you being comprised of two souls rather than one. As if only one of your souls has 'died' and the other still remains. But like I said, it is just my theory. However, I do know that you have been regenerating since shortly after you sacrificed yourself. I guided your fragile form out of the volcano to this location."

"Alright.. but why here? This seems like such a remote and random location," Dust responded.

"That is exactly why. This cavern is so far-removed from civilization that it was perfect to house an uninterrupted regeneration, which took quite some time, might I add."

"What? How long has it been?"

"Yet again, I am not completely sure, as this kind of thing does not happen often. If we are to be sure, we will have to ask someone when General Gaius fell, then we will truly know."

As Dust took in all of what Ahrah told him, he slowly got up from the ground and reached toward the handle of his sentient blade, eventually gripping it tightly like all warriors should.

"Let's go then."

* * *

**[Hey people, this is my first attempt at a fanfic, but I have a ton of amazing ideas that I'm in love with so I want to get them out and hopefully some people will enjoy it :D Dust is one of my favorite games ever so I want to show my love with this fic.]**


	2. Chapter 2

**먼지**

Dust II: Elysian Kingdom

**Chapter 2 – Breakout  
**

* * *

Grasping Ahrah firmly in his hand, Dust bounded through the long cave tunnel towards the light of the exit, as he felt the air around him slowly get colder. The cavern was also getting slightly smaller as he moved towards the opening to the outside world, worrying that maybe he wouldn't even be able to get out.

But sure enough, Dust burst through the entrance of the cave, suddenly being overwhelmed with the sight of blinding white snow cascading over seemingly infinite mountains. A strong bone-chilling wind was also quick to greet Dust, as it blew directly in front of the cave's entrance, almost knocking him off the foothold until Dust was able to crouch down and gain his balance. He was shaken, and had to pause for a bit to catch his breath.

"D-Damn it Ahrah, why didn't you tell me we were this high up AND in the Blackmoor Mountains?! I'll freeze to death here!"

"Well then it'd be best if we found a village nearby, wouldn't it?" Ahrah suggested, as if they had any other choice.

Dust gave a sarcastic look as he began surveying the area around the foothold outside of the cave, trying to determine if there was a safe way to climb down the mountainside to get to better ground. He cautiously reached his leg down to gain some traction on the rocky ledge, then brought his other leg to the same place. The rough texture of the mountain was almost unbearable without his boots, or any shoes for that matter, but he just had to deal with it. Holding Ahrah awkwardly in one of his hands, Dust slowly traversed down the mountainside, being as careful as he could not to misstep or lose his grip. He couldn't afford breaking his back _and_ freezing to death so early after his return.

After a good amount of time, Dust finally touched down to the snow-covered ground at the base of the mountain. The cold sensation against his bare feet sent a chill up his spine, but he shook it off and quickly pressed on. He had to hurry; he was already feeling his fingers begin to go numb. He ran as fast as he could across the frozen tundra, with seemingly no sense of direction; a desperate attempt to find a village that hopefully had some source of heat.

"Th-There!" Dust let out in a shivering tone as he saw the faint image of a small village in front of him. His vision was a bit blurred, and was made even worse by the dense flurries of snow that flew through the air around him, but he knew that some form of life was there in the distance.

'Small village' was a bit of an overstatement; there were only three houses huddled together that made up this mountain settlement. The houses were simply wood cabins; although cramped, they were perfect for insulating heat and protecting from the harsh conditions. Dust sure as hell wasn't picky, so he hurried to the first house he could reach. Bursting through the doorway as quick as he could, Dust stumbled and leaned against the wall, exhausted and shivering.

"Help.. W-Warmth.." he mumbled as he dropped Ahrah and slid his back downward slowly, hitting the floor in the end.

An older female came quickly to his attention. She was of relatively good height; a little taller than Dust. Her hair was long with two large bangs in the front, and a single huge ponytail in the back. She had long, thin, downward-drooping ears, and wore what seemed to be a traditional kimono. The woman carried Dust with his arm over her shoulder to the far end of her single-room home, and sat him in a wooden rocking chair across from a large fireplace.

Turning to a chest next to the chair, the stranger opened it and pulled out a few heavy blankets, and wrapped Dust in them. "There you go, sweetie.. You'll be fine."

"Thank y-you.." Dust whispered; it was all he could say before passing out.

* * *

A few hours passed, as the morning slipped into early afternoon. The snow storm outside the log cabin didn't show any signs of letting up, a clear contrast in temperature to the immense warmth of the room Dust was resting in. Sitting up from his sleeping position, Dust slowly opened his eyes and stretched his limbs, feeling much more rested than he did when he first woke up this morning after he regenerated. He suddenly heard the muted shuffling of the feet of someone coming closer to him; it was the mysterious woman who had welcomed him into her home.

"Ah.. you're up, sweetie! Glad to see you're doing good," she greeted cheerfully as she handed Dust a blueberry muffin. "Baked that myself!"

"Oh, thank you.." Dust started as he accepted the snack from her, and started biting into it. "And thanks for taking me in.. what's your name?"

The woman pulled up another rocking chair from near the fireplace and brought it closer to Dust's chair, and sat down in it. "My name is Erin, nice to meet you! And you are?"

"..I am called Dust-"

He wasn't going to continue after that, but it seemed like Erin immediately interrupted him as her eyes lit up. "THE Dust?! Sen-Mithrarin?! He who is born of the dust?!"

"You actually know about me?" Dust perked up, surprised.

"Dear boy, everyone knows about you! You became a legend in Falana after you defeated General Gaius and ended his vicious reign of terror five years ago, but I never imagi-"

Dust interrupted this time. "Five years?! ..The things that must have changed in that time.."

Hearing their conversation, Ahrah hovered over to where Dust and Erin were seated, letting out his first words since they arrived. "Dust, there's no telling what we've missed in these lost years, we simply must find out what happened to everyone.."

"Oh my gosh, a talking sword?!" Erin exclaimed.

"..Yes, I am Ahrah.. Have you not heard of me as well?"

"Heavens no.. I knew Dust wielded a legendary blade, but only in my dreams would I have thought it could talk!"

"Okay okay, at any rate.." Dust intervened, "It's clear that we have to find out what happened while we were gone.. Erin, do you know of anyone named Fidget, or Ginger, or Elder Gray Eyes?"

Erin jumped up excitedly, "Elder Gray Eyes? Why, he's the Sovereign of Falana!"


	3. Chapter 3

**먼지**

Dust II: Elysian Kingdom

**Chapter 3 – Come Back to Me**

* * *

"What?! The Sovereign of ALL of Falana?" Dust immediately reacted to what Erin had just told him and Ahrah.

"Why yes! See, after your triumph over General Gaius, and a little motivational speech from the Elder himself, a large group of people worked together for a long, long time- I think about three years it was -to construct a new home for the Moonblood civilization; a grand palace of wondrous design.. It really looks like a sight to behold in the photographs that my husband took when he was there! Elder Gray Eyes then declared himself as a peaceful ruler of Falana, and there were no immediate objections, so he oversees everything to this day."

"I must say, that really is a nice thing to hear after all these years. My old friend still never ceases to amaze me," Ahrah said proudly.

"Well then," Dust interjected, "It's clear that we need to travel to this palace and speak to the Elder.. and hopefully he knows where Fidget and Ginger are."

"It sounds like you care a lot about these people, dear.. Are they your family?" Erin asked, concerned. The expression that overcame Dust's face showed how much he really missed seeing them, and he knew an emotional reunion was certain. He could almost feel his eyes tearing up.

Dust regained his stern look. "Yes, you could say that.. I just need to talk to them as soon as possible."

"You should go then, I can tell this is very important to you, and if it's been five whole years.. then there's not a moment to spare!" Erin encouraged.

"But the snow storm.. I almost died out there."

"Oh don't worry about that, dear! Wait here," Erin said as she got up from her rocking chair and walked over to a closet on the other side of the small house. Opening it, she took out a heavy grey-colored cloak, with visible tearing on the bottom; it clearly had seen some use. She also gathered an old worn-out compass from the closet and put it in one of the cloak's side pockets.

She shuffled back over to where Dust was sitting and handed him the cloak. "I may not look like it, but I used to be quite the adventurer; a nomad actually. My husband and I once travelled all over Falana, but the years haven't been so kind to me.. Anyway, this cloak will keep you perfectly warm in that harsh storm, dear! I also put a compass in one of the pockets to help guide you; Aurora Palace is a long way southeast from here, right outside Aurora Village."

"Ahh, I remember Aurora Village quite clearly.. Thank you for everything, Erin. I won't forget you," Dust declared as he got up from his chair and bowed, when Erin suddenly jumped forward and hugged him.

She waited a bit before letting go. "Anything for you, Sen-Mithrarin. It was a pleasure meeting such a legend." And then she bowed just like Dust did before, and he smiled back at her.

Dust then took the heavy cloak that Erin gave him, and put it over his minimally-clothed body; it reached all the way from his shoulders down to his lower legs so only his ankles and feet were showing. He could already feel the thick coat retain the warmth of the house and the fire. The garment also came with a hood, which he reached back and pulled over his head. His ears fit perfectly into the specially-cut pouches that the hood was adorned with at the top. The cloak had sleeves, but Dust kept his arms and hands concealed inside its main body.

"Oh! I almost forgot," Erin exclaimed as she handed Dust a pair of tattered tan-colored boots, which she also took from the closet which contained the cloak. "These were my husband's back in the day, but I'm sure they'll still be great against the awful terrain out there!"

Dust took the boots from her and pulled them up his legs one by one, stomping lightly on the ground afterwards to make sure they were on as tight as possible.

"I can't thank you enough, Erin," Dust said wholeheartedly as he hugged her one last time.

She whispered back, "Goodbye, Dust," as he slowly escaped her arms and turned to the door to the outside, walking through the doorway and into the frozen tundra of the Blackmoor Mountains.

Although the snow storm was still going on strong, it did show a few signs of letting up. It was a little easier to see in it than it was when Dust first travelled to Erin's cabin, but it still wasn't clear as day in any sense of the phrase. The temperature was still blistering cold, but the cloak and boots that Erin gave Dust were helping keep him warm much more than he thought they would. Dust took the compass out from the cloak's side pocket and held it close to his face so he could see the directions as clear as possible.

"Southeast.." he mumbled to himself as he looked up from the compass and swiveled his head in the direction he wanted, and started to quickly dash the same way. The harsh wind blew viciously against the front of his body, but the cloak shielded most of him, save for the small opening in the hood for part of his face to show through, which was the only part of him that was truly feeling the effects of the chilling storm. Even with his heavy garments, he could hardly wait until he was out of these mountains and back into the calm weather he fondly remembered from his days five years ago.

And of course, he couldn't wait to just see everyone again.

* * *

Almost another full day passed; it was early morning. After making a handful of rest stops in various small caves along the path out of the Blackmoor Mountains, Dust and Ahrah finally made it back into the main forested region of Falana; they knew they were close to Aurora Village, but not quite. Dust assumed they were around the outskirts of the Sorrowing Meadow, due to the mix of decaying, leafless trees and trees with varying colors of leaves on them.

"We have to be at least halfway between the Sorrowing Meadow and Aurora Village by now.." Dust said exhaustedly, pulling the cloak's hood off his head and staring at his compass.

"Perhaps you should rest a bit more, Dust. This past day HAS been very taxing on you," Ahrah suggested.

Dust sighed. "Alright.. but only for a bit," as he walked over to the base of one of the trees and sat down under it, then leaned against it. He was sweating quite heavily, due to the rapid increase in temperature from the mountains. He lifted the thick cloak off of his body and set it down next to him. He relaxed and sighed again, this time more heavily than before.

Ahrah seemed concerned. "Something on your mind, Dust?"

"More like what isn't on my mind.." he said as he closed his eyes and held his hand to his head. "I'm just.. concerned about how everyone will react to me being, you know, alive.. and what if Fidget and Ginger aren't at the palace? Then we'll have to go find them.."

"There's no need to worry about that, my friend. No matter where they are, we will find them. And you know their reactions will be nothing but emotional and true to how they really feel about you."

"Thank you, Ahrah, I think that helps.." Dust responded as he got up from his sitting position, put his cloak back on, and looked down at his compass one last time. "C'mon, we've got a palace to find."

* * *

At last, Dust stood triumphantly stood outside the entrance to Aurora Village, and let out a sigh of relief. "Ah, now this definitely brings back memories.."

He slowly began walking past the stone wall gate, followed by the small decaying wooden fence that opened up at the end. Dust was a bit surprised that it looked so much the same as it did five years ago, if not a bit worse.

"I guess they didn't have extra time to attend to the village much if they spent all those years constructing the palace."

He continued past the sparsely scattered buildings and came to the next group of wooden fences, followed by the simple shack where he met the first inhabitants of the village long ago.

"Hm, where is everyone? I know it's been awhile but Bean and Calum should really be out here keeping watch.. or at least SOMEONE.."

"It IS early morning," Ahrah observed, "The inhabitants are likely still in their homes at this hour."

Dust scanned the area and noticed that the twig gatherings at the ends of the stone walls weren't lit with flame like they usually were. "Hmm yeah, the fires aren't lit yet, so you're probably right. But still, it would just be nice to see really anyone out here.."

Nevertheless, Dust continued through Aurora Village, walking past the more regal-looking buildings and homes that he remembered so vaguely yet so fondly. He walked up one of the stone staircases that were embedded in the path, where there were more homes and longer wooden fences.

"_This just feels too weird,"_ Dust thought to himself. "_It feels just like it did when I first came here.. like the calm before a storm.."_

Coming to an area where the ground had been dug out and had only wood frames and stone blocks keeping up the top layer, Dust jumped to the higher ground and continued on. He climbed another batch of stone stairs, up to more rock walls and another regal home in a more densely forested area than the rest of the village. Dust suddenly stopped at the top of the hill in front of the house.

"This.. This is where I first met Ginger. She seemed so distant back then.. I even called her bratty; how could I be so stupid..?"

"There's no use in beating yourself up over the past, Dust. What matters is now." Ahrah said comfortingly. "_Dust truly does have an impeccable memory.."_

"You're right.. Let's go," Dust said as he started walking down the path, slightly faster than before. "We can't waste any more time."

As Dust continued down the path past more stone walls and down more stairs, he began to see a strange foreign object come into view as the trees started to disperse more and more.

"Hey Ahrah, I see.. something different.."

The wall-like object was mostly an off-white color, with faintly-colored gold designs etched into the sides. It was fairly large, so much that the points where it both began and ended couldn't be seen, due to some trees obscuring the view. The more Dust dashed towards it, the more of it became unconcealed. When the trees were completely out of the way, the object was revealed; it was clearly the side wall of a huge castle-like structure.

Dust looked on in amazement. "That must be it, Aurora Palace!" His eyes lit up as he picked up speed and dashed quickly past the remaining houses and into the outskirts of the village.

He ran as fast as he could towards the castle, moving at an angle so that he could see the front of the building slowly come into view. He began to see gorgeous stained-glass windows and unlit, mounted gold torches on the front outside wall. Tall rounded towers with battlements at the tops were situated on each corner of the structure. The faded gold designs continued around from the side wall to the remainder of the wall space. Dust ran faster and faster, until he finally stopped directly in front of what he assumed to be the castle's main entrance doors, which were fronted by a heavy wooden bridge that spanned from the doors, across the moat that surrounded the palace, to where Dust was standing. The ends of thick metal chains were mounted onto the corners of the bridge, and reached back into openings on the palace's front wall.

"Erin was right, this really is magnificent.." Dust said in awe of the structure in front of him.

"An architectural marvel, for sure. I'm impressed," Ahrah agreed.

Dust slowly walked onto the bridge that crossed the moat, looking down into the deep trench filled with calm waters that came in from the river that the palace was built next to. His footsteps quietly echoed through the wood of the bridge. He reached the other side and stood in front of the oversized, ornately-decorated twin doors that towered over him.

He reached out his arms, put both of his hands on the doors, looked down, and sighed.

"Alright, here we go.."

* * *

**[Phew, finally got this done. I really did want it to be longer than the previous two chapters, and I think it was worth it :D And I hit two thousand words, so yay :3 Next chapter is going to be intense; I hope you guys can contain yourselves until then lol.]**


	4. Chapter 4

**먼지**

Dust II: Elysian Kingdom

**Chapter 4 – Need**

* * *

The double doors of the regal palace slowly and quietly creaked forward as Dust pushed on them simultaneously. The opening revealed an incredibly spacious foyer filled with several regal-looking pillars that stretched up to the top of the high ceiling. The pillars were aligned in rows on either side of the entrance and ran down the hall, stopping before two rounded staircases that led up to an indoor balcony with a set of twin doors at the top in the middle. There were also pillars in each corner of the room, as well as a door in the middle of both the left and right walls. Similar gold designs like the ones on the outside of the palace lined the inside walls as well, complimented by a few purple and pale yellow-colored banners that hung from the ceiling. Above the double doors on the back wall there was a surprising stained-glass mural of none other than Dust himself, triumphantly standing with Ahrah and Fidget at the summit of the Everdawn Basin.

"Wow.. This is unbelievable," Dust said as he walked somewhat cautiously forward across the smooth, glossy floor, scanning the area in awe. Each one of his steps let out a faint sound that echoed quietly through the entire room.

Just then, two guards came bursting through the doors on either side of the room, donning carefully-crafted armor and wielding decorated spears. One of them was a towering muscular guy with tan-colored fur, a thick face, a dark brown mohawk, and small but sharp green eyes. The other was slightly older while much skinnier and shorter, with navy fur and brown eyes. His slicked-back hair was grey and so was his slightly-lengthy beard.

They both glared in Dust's direction and shouted almost simultaneously, "Halt! Who goes th-"

But their words were cut off at the sight of Dust's easily recognizable head full of shiny grey hair and pale turquoise skin.

"Good lord.. Is it really you..?" the blue one said with doubt in his voice. The larger one was speechless.

They both ran towards Dust as he finally found some words to offer. "Bean.. Calum.. Yes it's me. I'm alive," he said with a soft smile as his voice echoed.

Bean and Calum finally reached where Dust was standing and embraced him tightly. It was clear that they missed him and were so glad that he was back; however it was that he was back. Dust was just enjoying the warm feeling of interaction once again.

They both let go from the hug as Bean started, "S-So how are you alive? We heard that Ginger and Fidget saw your spirit rise from the volcano but- Oh Calum! Go wake up.. well, everyone! This is huge!" Dust's ears perked up at the sound of Fidget and Ginger's names. He really hoped that they both would come through any of the doors in the palace, eager as ever to see him.

"Right, good idea!" Calum agreed as he ran up one of the rounded staircases to the top floor and through the double doors in the middle.

Dust responded, "Well.. how I'm back I'm not really sure of, to be honest. Ahrah has a theory but he doesn't have much of a clue either."

"Hm, hopefully the Elder has a better idea.. I'm sure he'll be ecstatic to see you're back!"

"Yeah, it'll be great to see him again.. Fidget and Ginger too.. They're here, right?" Dust was concerned if they really were or not.

"Yes, yes!" Bean confirmed. "Oh my, Fidget is constantly telling us all these insignificant things about you when you were travelling together; it's the cutest thing! And Ginger has been so-"

But Bean was cut off by yet another door-bursting, this time coming from the twin doors of the second floor. As Calum held the doors open, none other than the unmistakable spunky orange and white Nimbat came flying through as fast as she could.

"Duuuuuuust!" Fidget screamed with teary eyes at the top of her lungs, before she collided with him right in the chest, pushing him back a bit. He gently wrapped his arms around her tiny body and looked downward at her.

"F-Fidget.. I'm so happy to see you again.." he said, closing his eyes. Bean looked on with a huge smile on his face as Calum came down to where they were standing.

She kept her face buried in his chest, hiding the tears that were now streaming down her face. "I.. I missed you so much, Dust.. I couldn't stop talking about you, and.. and I just KNEW someday you'd be back.. You took a lot longer than any of us wanted but, but I was right! ..I just-"

"Shhh.." She was stopped as Dust interjected and petted her head. "I know, Fidget. It's okay. I'm back now and I won't leave again, I promise."

Fidget finally looked up at Dust's eyes, with her tears now slightly dry. "Your face is the best thing ever to me right now, you big goof.."

"Even better than marshmallows? Wow, I've been promoted," Dust joked as he laughed quietly.

Fidget laughed and smiled widely. "It's been waaaay too long since I've heard your subtle sense of humor, Dust.." She finally left his chest and started flying next to him. It was then when the next figure started to appear through the double doors.

She was a young adult female, most recognizable by her beautiful orange hair in a large ponytail and her deep dark blue eyes. She wore a regal white and gold dress, with light blue arm-sleeves, ankle bracelets, and sandals. Dust instantly recognized her; it was Ginger, the sister of one of the souls that Dust contained inside of him.

"Ginger!" Dust yelled as he began to run towards the stairs.

"Dust..!" Ginger yelled back as she lifted her dress up slightly and started to quickly descend the stairs. She met Dust halfway and immediately wrapped her arms around him tightly with her head turned to the side and eyes closed. He returned the hug and sighed deeply. Neither of them said a word for a bit; Dust knew that Ginger was a girl that let actions speak louder than words.

"So you're really back," Ginger said at last. "And this isn't some crazy dream.."

"Yeah, it's really me, Ginger. I don't know how, but this is real."

She sighed and began again, "..Fidget and I chased you for as long as we could but, your spirit was travelling so fast.. But that doesn't matter now, because you're back.." It was then when she quietly started sobbing into Dust's shoulder. He held her closer as her crying grew slightly louder.

"Oh Ginger, it's okay.."

"I know," she said as she held back the tears as much as she could. "I'm just so happy, everyone missed you so much.. and now the emptiness you left is gone.."

"I'm really glad to hear that.. I missed everyone too, even if I wasn't conscious to know I was feeling it," Dust said as Ginger hugged him tighter, still sobbing a little.

"Sen-Mithrarin! You have returned to us!" A loud voice broke through the short silence, as a larger grey-skinned figure with long white hair and large white eyebrows came through the doors at the top of the stairs. He was slightly hunched over and wore a similarly-colored garment to Ginger, but more robe-like than her long dress. He also held his trademark blue and yellow staff, which was topped with a glowing orb surrounded by a few small, floating, oval-shaped objects. He also wore a purple scarf and cloth belt.

Dust looked up in surprise and began walking farther up the stairs until he met the figure at the top step. "Elder Gray Eyes.. It's an honor to be back in your presence," he said as he bowed his head slightly with a hand on his chest and on bended knee.

"No, no! The honor is all mine, Mithrarin," the Elder responded humbly, mimicking Dust's bowing gesture as Dust looked back up.

Ahrah chimed in at that moment. "Ah, it's a pleasure seeing you again, my old friend."

"It is a pleasure to have you back as well, Ahrah," the Elder greeted the sentient blade warmly.

Fidget then flew up to where everyone was gathered, with Bean following. "Isn't this great, Elder?! Dust is finally back!" the Nimbat exclaimed with a smile across her face as she cuddled Dust's cheek. He slightly smiled back in her direction.

The Elder closed his eyes and nodded. "Yes Fidget, it seems our prolonged wait has paid off.. Now everyone, I'm sure you all have questions, as do I, but if you don't mind, I'd like to speak to Dust and Ahrah alone; let them know what's happened in this time."

"Aww, why can't I come?" Fidget nagged.

"I'm sure you already know since you've actually been alive, Fidget," Dust responded jokingly.

"Hmph.. FINE," she said, playfully annoyed as she flew past the group back through the double doors. Bean and Calum bowed to the group and went back down the stairs then into their respective doors on either side of the foyer.

Ginger walked past Dust and the Elder slowly and then looked back. "Don't worry, I'll watch her," she said softly as she giggled a bit and continued walking the same path Fidget traveled. Only Dust, Ahrah, and the Elder remained on the balcony.

"Ahaha, as you can see, everyone's just as they've always been," the Elder said as he started back towards the stairs and began descending them, with Dust following him. They conversed as they slowly made their way to the twin doors on the ground floor of the foyer.

Dust sighed contently. "Yes, it's really nice seeing them again. And you too, Elder; you've certainly been busy these last couple years."

"No no, I haven't done much.. It's the work of all the remaining Moonbloods and all the citizens of Falana who were kind enough to help to build this palace for us; we really have them to thank for their efforts."

"Well it truly is a wonder," Ahrah observed.

The group of three reached the ground floor, where the Elder opened the doors on the back wall underneath the balcony, and they went in. There were three more doors inside the long horizontal hallway.

"That room on the far right there is the infirmary," the Elder gestured. "If you are ever injured, Dust, you're welcome there no matter what. This middle room here is the facilities, for showering, bathing, and so on."

He then walked over to the door on the left and turned back to Dust. "This room is the new home to someone you should remember quite fondly."

* * *

The room wasn't like the rest of the rooms in the palace, or at least the foyer. It was damp and moist. It was almost pitch black, with only one faint flameless light mounted on the back wall. This light illuminated the room just enough so a deep hole in the floor in front of the back wall was visible. The atmosphere eerily reminded Dust of the same cave that he regenerated and woke up in, nearly sending a shiver through his body. He was starting to get the idea that the Elder didn't want to just tell Dust what happened when he was gone; there was something else.

"You'll have to excuse these conditions, it's how she prefers it," the Elder explained, chuckling softly to himself as he walked towards the hole in the ground and stepped down onto a metal spiral staircase. "Come on now, Dust! We have much to discuss!"

Dust was a bit uncertain, but he knew he trusted the Elder, so he followed. The staircase led down to another room, presumably the basement, that was even more dark and damp than the one above it. There were stalagmites and stalactites lining both the ceiling and the floor, complemented by only four flameless lights, one on each wall. This time, Dust actually did feel a shiver go up his spine.

As the group reached the bottom, a figure started to emerge from the darkness in the middle of the room. Its floating silhouette was made up of two arms, a head with one large horn in the back, a dress-like bottom half with no feet, and a skeleton-like apparatus floating independently behind it. As the light started to reveal a bit of the figure's features and colors, Dust recognized it.

"L-Lady Tethys..!"

The green-colored female spirit was surprised. "Dust? ..Oh my, is it truly you?"

"Yes, by some miracle, I'm back. It's nice but.. really a shock to see you here, to be honest."

"I know, but the Elder invited me to live here so I thought I might as well, for convenience and emergency reasons," she explained. "As long as it was to my specifications, of course."

Dust looked around at the room again. "Yeah this definitely screams Cirromon Caverns."

"Alright you two," the Elder intervened, walking towards Lady Tethys and standing next to her, facing Dust. "Now that you've caught up, we should start discussing the matters at hand."

Dust was a bit confused. "'Matters at hand?' Is something wrong?"

Lady Tethys hesitated for a bit. "..We have some concerns. Elder, do you want to begin?"

"Of course," Elder Gray Eyes started, clearing his throat and closing his eyes. "We fear that something is amiss in Falana. It's been a very quiet five years ever since you ended General Gaius' vicious campaign. Now, I'm not complaining about those glorious years, but.."

Dust stepped forward. "But..?"

The Lady picked up the Elder's words. "A few months ago, I started to sense a small disturbance in the Life Thread. Nothing big, but I couldn't become attuned to a small number of souls. It's as if they were blocked out, like an eclipse. I don't even know if the bodies of those souls have died, or if the souls were removed from their bodies. I can't even derive any knowledge from them or locate where they are in Falana.. I honestly can't place what could possibly be doing this; no one has ever- as long as I've been alive, at least -been able to manipulate the Life Thread in any way. It is simply only for 'viewing'. Like a library, if you will."

"And then it got worse," the Elder continued. "More souls were being blocked out again and again at random."

"Basically, If you could view the Life Thread on a map, there would be a lot of haphazardly-placed blacked-out areas," Lady Tethys added. "And to make matters even more complicated, recently I started not being able to tell who's soul belonged to who. Even if I can see someone's soul that isn't blocked out, I can't even attach a name to it. It really is becoming more and more of a tragedy.."

Elder Gray Eyes concluded, "Which is why we're so blessed that you're back, Sen-Mithrarin."

"Wow, I can't believe it.. that something like this could happen," Dust responded with a heavy heart. "But I promise, I'll help all that I can-"

"But that's not all," the Lady interrupted.

The Elder sighed heavily. Dust's face was overcome with concern.

"If the source of this disturbance happens to be an individual, and they somehow gain complete control of the Life Thread.. they could separate Jin and Cassius' souls from your body, and you would cease to exist."


End file.
